A Truth Universally Acknowledged
by LauraJaneWrites
Summary: James loves Lily, but propriety expects him to marry a pureblood witch of his mother's choosing. Now that he's betrothed, how will James find a way to be with Lily?


She smiled against his lips as James continued to kiss her feverishly. He was used to callousness. His toughened fingertips from rigorous Quidditch practice, the scruff of his often unshaven jaw, and his favorite wool jumper Lily made for him last Christmas. They all made Lily's lips the softest heaven James had ever known.

He was enamored with her. The innocence that defined Lily Evans intrigued him. It tasted so good in his mouth. James needed her more than he ever thought he would need another person.

And he had yet to admit it to anyone other than himself.

This kiss was raw and heady, causing her to moan in the back of her delicious throat. Grabbing a handful of her hair, he hugged her head against him, giving her no escape.

"I think that I could be completely in love with you, Evans," James mumbled against her lips. He wished she would take him seriously when he said things like that to her.

Pulling her mouth away from his Lily rested back against the stone wall. He couldn't keep his hands off her and left them wrapped around her waist. It was habit to keep her close to him, always having to feel her against him. Call it an attachment issue; call it an incontrollable love of all things Lily, but James was in constant need for her touch.

"Don't expect me to fall in love with you. It's not likely to happen," she said with a coy smile. Grinning with her, James moved in for another kiss.

"You know you already have."

* * *

"What's that, Prongs?"

"It's a letter from Mum."

James' brow creased as he scanned through the letter that was just delivered straight to their dormitory. Luckily, Sirius and Peter were on a quick run to the kitchens for more treacle or he would be pressured to read it aloud. It was unusual to see his mother's owl this late at night. But during these dark times, he didn't hesitate to open it in front of Remus and Lily. Someone could be hurt, or worse, dead.

"Is there something wrong, James?"

Lily left her perch on his four poster, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder. Her touch was comforting to him, though the contents of his mother's letter left him chilled. Standing slowly, James read the letter again to be sure he hadn't misunderstood.

"No worries, love. There's… there's nothing wrong," James replied, his eyes never leaving the worn parchment. Lily shot a glance at Remus, who had now lost interest in his Potions essay. Watching James carefully, he set aside his school things and approached the couple.

With a cautious gesture Remus reached for the letter and plucked it from James' tightening grip. He was staring at the floor now, his thoughts in chaos. Remus read the letter to himself.

"Lily," Remus said quietly, "Would you mind giving James and I a moment alone?"

Instead of arguing, Lily smiled politely at Remus and took a hesitant step towards the door. A pleading glance in James direction sent him into two long strides towards her, stopping her retreat with a deep kiss. She accepted his passionate, yet troubled and somewhat hasty kiss.

"I do love you, Lily."

"I know," she said, her eyebrows wrinkled at his absurdness. She didn't leave for the door again, though, instead searched his hazel eyes and waited for an answer to his sudden distress. James had this gnawing feeling that he had to tell her everything. Right now.

"The letter… it's from my mum. I'm not sure, but I fear she believes I am going to accept this ridiculous act of traditional wizarding—"

"James!" Remus said. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Lily. But, James, please think this over before –"

But he didn't get to finish his sentence as Sirius and Peter burst through the door, treacle tarts, pumpkin pasties, and peppermint patties overfilling their arms.

"Oy, Happy Christmas, gits! We just depleted the house elves' _entire_ stash of Christmas sweets," Sirius said. He flung the food unceremoniously onto his own bed, Peter doing the same, and picked out a particularly large pumpkin pasty for himself. James snatched the letter from Remus' hands and shoved it hastily under his pillow. Sirius and Peter were none the wiser.

"Well… I suppose I'll just go, then," Lily said, taking her cloak and once again attempting to leave.

Sirius swallowed his bite and bowed to Lily as she left the room, his dramatic flourish lightened her bothered expression to a smile.

"Do have a pleasant evening, Lily Millie," he said with a wink.

"Don't call me that, Black. Good night," she said with a threatening smile back. As she walked out the door she shot Remus and James with a dead pan stare, promising that she will find out what is going on, Lily shut the door.

"She says that I am expected to maintain the Potter household in the event of father's death," James scoffed. "As though he were going to kick off any day now. He's only eighty six… no, eighty seven… well, I'm not sure but somewhere along there and it's ridiculous for her to pressure me like this."

James was flushed, anxious, and Remus would say panicked if he didn't know James so well. James Potter doesn't panic. His body doesn't contain the right chemistry for panicking. No, James mulls, plots and can talk his way out of anything.

Though, his mother wasn't just anything. She is of the oldest wizarding descent, the distinguished Peverell bloodline, and certain that her legacy will continue to thrive with the fortunate union of her only son.

"Is she going to force you to choose soon?" Peter asked from his bed. The four friends sat cross-legged on their own beds, facing one another.

"I'm not sure, Pete," James said, looking down at the letter he still had clutched in his hands. After Lily had left, he felt that he needed to tell Sirius and Peter what his mother had requested. That she was advising him to choose a gentle, _handsome_, and pureblooded girl whom he could happily marry after being presented into society.

James was unsure how his mother would react to him loving Lily and overlooking the boundaries of blood and money. The importance of a marriage with a girl of the highest station had been ingrained in his brain for so long. While her family's small cottage charmed him and her ability to look undeniably gorgeous in her handed down robes made him rethink his tailor-made clothes, James was sure Lily's "station" was not what his mum had in mind. Not to mention the impending danger that haunted the streets of England.

Being a Muggleborn, and the smartest one in Hogwarts at that, had tagged Lily in the mounting war between pureblood traditionalists and those tolerant of all wizarding kind. She was a target and would more so be one if the traditionalists knew she was dating a high society pureblood wizard. James.

It was sometimes hard to explain to Lily how things worked in wizarding society. He still remembers trying to explain why werewolves were considered beasts to the Ministry and why exactly wizards rode on brooms when they were so impractical and uncomfortable. But she understood the risks she faced. It wasn't only her life on the line, but her family's as well.

Voldemort was gaining power in Britain and people were scared. How long would it be before Lily had to leave to protect herself?

"You're thinking of Lily," Remus said.

It wasn't a question. They all knew what James was thinking.

"I might be," James replied solemnly.

* * *

"Prongs, sweet Lily Millie," Sirius said, greeting the Gryffindor table with his usual eye-catching gestures. He plopped down across from Lily as she attempted, or so Sirius thought, to shoot laser beams at his head with her eyes.

"Are you trying to blow my head up?" he said amused.

"Actually, I was trying to silence you indefinitely. You have such a pretty head, Black, why ever would I want to blow it up?" she replied.

"Hullo, Padfoot. Antagonizing the innocent once again?" James said through a mouthful of eggs. Sirius shrugged and began to fill his plate with their last breakfast at Hogwarts before leaving for Christmas break.

"Oy, Moony," James said, greeting Remus as he rushed to the table.

"Where's Wormtail?" Remus asked. He set his bag down next to Lily and flung food onto his plate in a hurry.

"Sat with some bird. Dorcas, I think's her name… I dunno. Where's the fire?" Sirius asked Remus. He was shoveling food into his mouth as though it were his last meal before execution.

"No fire. Just a train. Twenty minutes," he said in between bites. Lily and James both looked at him with a somewhat disgusted expression. Ignoring Remus and suppressing the slight urge to throw up, Sirius instead turned his attentions to Lily.

"Lily Millie, how are you fairing today? And may I add, that is a _lovely_ blouse," Sirius smirked at Lily, sending a flirtatious wink her way. James cocked one eyebrow towards his best 's cheeks grew a warm, pink shade. She pulled her shirt closed just a bit more, James grinned to himself at that.

"Padfoot, leave Lily alone. I'm sure her boyfriend wouldn't like you flirting shamelessly with her in front of him," Remus said, his nose now stuck in the morning's copy of the Prophet and still feeding bits of waffle to himself. Sirius kept on, keeping his eyes on Lily suggestively.

"I'm making small talk, Moony, and only wondering what our sweeting is doing for the holiday bre— Wait. What boyfriend? I see no boyfriend here. Only a chump that hasn't put a kind hand on his beautiful girl yet this morning."

"I'm not your _sweeting_, Sirius. That hypocorism is unfortunately reserved for said chump, whom I like to think keeps his spectacular hands on me plenty enough, thank you. And I'm hardly _beautiful, _though that was thoughtful of you," Lily said. "As for my holiday break, I'm planning on doing whole lot of nothing. I want to rot away in front of the telly and stuff myself on pumpkin pie."

"That sounds lovely. If you need help stuffing yourself, please be sure to fire call. I'd be happy to oblige," Sirius said smoothly, gazing lustfully into Lily's eyes.

James choked loudly on his toast, coughing hoarsely until Sirius offered him a hearty slap on the back. Rubbing his throat, James sneered at Sirius' confident smirk.

"Something wrong with you, Prongs?" Sirius said arrogantly as James recovered from the coughing spell.

"Not at all. But leave my girl well enough alone, will you?"

"Lily, are you attending the Ministry Christmas party this year? I believe Slughorn was sending out invites to his Club members," Remus said nonchalantly, interrupting the staring duel between Sirius and James.

"I am not. Honestly," Lily said, glancing nervously across the table at James. "I didn't think it would be prudent to go under the circumstances."

Sirius gaped.

"You told her?" he said. Remus stared at James reproachfully.

"Of course I told her, Padfoot. And don't look at me like that," he said to Remus' accusing glare. "There's no reason why Lily can't know—_oof_"

James shut up real quick when a large tawny owl let a thick envelope smack him in the back of his head. Muttering various obscenities under his breath, James opened the sealed envelope, his shoulders tensing more with every move.

"Another death sentence from your mum, Prongs?" Sirius said.

"Actually… it _is_ from mum," James replied, his brows furrowed again, worried. Lily watched as his face went from one of fury to one of pure horror all in a blink. Slamming his juice glass down, his jaw dropped and he stared off furiously towards the Slytherin table.

Sirius leaned over inconspicuously reading James' letter through his juice glass. Lily and Remus remained quiet, time seemed to freeze around them, and she swallowed loudly. James' expression was one of complete defeat and Lily was thinking the worst had just happened. Someone had died, the family had lost everything…

Sirius spewed his orange juice across the table, soaking Lily's face and robes. She hardly reacted at first, her mind so occupied with the horror that James seemed to be facing. Shrieking, Lily wiped the acidic liquid from her face and sent Sirius a death glare. He didn't notice.

"Merlin, Sirius! Think you could keep it in your mouth? It's burning my effing eyes," she cried out. "What the hell is going on?"

Everyone in the Great Hall was looking at them now. Lily didn't like the attention and sat back down timidly. Without a second thought, Remus cleaned Lily's robes with a wave of his wand and spoke strongly to James.

"Prongs. James. What's happened?"

Sirius shook his head, unbelievingly. James finally tore his stare away from the other table, his jaw set. "Mum was tired of waiting. She's chosen for me. Matilda Carrow."

Lily's heart quit beating. She felt the blood stop flowing through her veins. It was a creepy feeling, as though you had just died and the world was snuffed out right beneath your feet. Her eyes blurred with sudden and unwanted tears.

It was then that James looked into Lily's eyes. There was so much pain and guilt behind his eyes that now burned a deep grey and brown. She didn't want him to talk. Knowing what he wanted, _needed_, to say, Lily couldn't bear to watch him struggle with it.

She didn't have to for long.

James stood quickly, unable to sit there any longer. He fled the Great Hall in long, deep strides.

Sirius gave Lily an apologetic smile, "Sorry about the mess, Lily. I'll be… I'll be right back." He set the letter James had dropped on the table between them and left after his best friend.

Lily hoped he could fix this.

Remus picked the parchment up and read it himself. Turning to Lily, who refused to read it, he sighed. "Lily…"

She would refuse to cry. It wasn't as though he was the only man she would ever love. He was just her first. The first of many. Lily was strong, a fighter, and she knew this wasn't meant to be. She refused to cry.

"Well," she said quietly, a single tear escaping and staining her cheek. "You know what they say, Remus. It's a truth universally acknowledged…"

"He didn't want a wife, Lily. He just wanted you," Remus replied, knowing and not liking how she was reacting.

She wouldn't, couldn't, look him in the eye. But when he held her clenched hands in his own, the warmth flooding into her and sending her heart pounding again, so loud in her head, she broke. Ignoring the stares and whispers, Lily hid her face into Remus' shoulder and cried.

_Fin: Part I_


End file.
